1. Field of the Invention
An exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation of a game communication system, a game apparatus utilized for the same, a storage medium storing a game program of the game apparatus, a server, a storage medium storing a communication processing program of the server, and a game control method are disclosed herein. More specifically, the exemplary game communication system implementation disclosed herein relates to a communication system that allows a plurality of game apparatuses to communicate one another over a network, a game apparatus utilized for the same, a storage medium storing a game program of the game apparatus, a server, a storage medium storing a communication processing program of the server, and a game control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional network game system or an on-line game system, a player connected a terminal (personal computer, game console, etc.) to a server across a network, determined an opponent of a game out of players of other terminals connected to the server, and played a game (fighting game, role-playing game, etc.) with the player. One example of this kind of a conventional network game system is disclosed in the Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2002-45573). Players who play a network game are basically unknown to each other. Each player determines whether or not to play a game by making a communication in a chat room, or directly plays a game with an unknown player, for example. Players who want to play a network game among friends accommodate a schedule including an hour, a place to play with (server, lobby, room, or the like), and so on, and connect to the server from the respective terminals on schedule to play the game with the friend.
On the other hand, the document 2 (Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2005-6766) discloses one example of a game system in which a communication game by a short distance wireless communication is performed. The technique in the document 2, other game which exists in the range where a communication is possible is retrieved to perform an interactive network game among a plurality of game apparatuses.
In the conventional network game system, since a player can communicate with an unknown player, if the opponent has player's information necessary for a communication, even if the player does not know the opponent at all, the player may unilaterally be connected by the opponent. Thus, the player has to suddenly play a game with an unknown player, so that there is a fear of violating a rule or a manner such as a hacker action by some quarters by dint of anonymous. This makes it difficult for a general user to play the network game. Furthermore, if both friends play a game, they have to talk about a time, etc. in advance by telephone or by e-mail, and behave as planned, resulting in being bother.
Such a conventional network game includes factors making a user feel anxious and bother, and this makes it difficult for a general user to easily participate in and to securely and freely enjoy the network game.
On the other hand, in the technique of the document 2, it is possible to make a communication game by a short-range wireless while seeing a face of a nearby opponent, so that it is possible to play a game securely and freely. However, it is possible for the players to play a game in the only range where a wireless communication is possible, so that when the players moves away from each other for going home, for example, they cannot play the communication game.